The present invention relates to a method for adjustably positioning a boat fender on the side of a boat and especially to a method which utilizes a flexible strap having a plurality of openings therein having a boat fender rope threaded therethrough which can be quickly moved through the openings in the strap and locked in place to position the boat fender in place on the side of a boat.
In the past, it has been common to use boat fenders along the sides of a boat to protect the hull from damage caused by collision with moorings. To increase the effectiveness of the boat fenders requires that the vertical length of the boat fender rope supporting the boat fender be vertically adjusted for each boat fender in accordance with mooring height variations and in accordance with the ocean tide and the like. It has been common in the past to anchor boat fenders by attaching the boat fender ropes to deck cleats or other rope fastening means on the boat. This requires tying and untying the ropes from the cleats or anchoring device to continuously adjust the height of the boat fender adjacent the side of the boat. This is time consuming and awkward especially during docking maneuvers when appropriate positioning of the boat fenders have to be initially ascertained.
A wide variety of other types of boat fender fastening means have been provided in an attempt to eliminate the tying and untying of fender lines to the boat cleats or to boat hand rails. Many of these replacements become more complex and sometimes more time consuming and sometimes involving many parts, such as cams for locking ropes in place.
Typical prior art means for tethering a boat fender over the side of a boat and holding the boat fender in place include the Loomis U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,435 which is a one piece anchor for adjustably tethering a rope suspended boat fender. This patent has a one piece anchor of a rigid material which has a hook formed on one end for clipping onto a rod. An extended anchor portion has three openings therein spaced for threading a boat anchor rope to position the boat fender. In the Volkwein U.S. Design Pat. No. D585,357, a watercraft fender hook is provided which is similar to the Loomis patent in that it has a one piece fender hook which has a hooked end for clipping over a boat rail with an extended rigid member having a plurality of holes for threading a rope through.
In the Bancker U.S. Pat. No. 678,533, a rope fastener is provided having a plurality of openings in a cast metal member for threading rope through the openings. In the Sherman et al. U.S. Design Pat. No. D481,002, a boat fender support has three openings therein. A similar boat fender mounting device may be seen in the Cimino U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,708 in which the boat fender mounting device has a planar member with a slot for the rail cable and at least one rope aperture for receipt and retention of the one end of the rope. In the Doyle U.S. Design Pat. No. Des 357,404, a boat fender strap is supported with suction cups. In the Carlstedt U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,094, a fender hanger assembly has a metal clip which has three openings therein for tying a boat fender rope thereto. In the Kramer U.S. Design Pat. No. 375,924, a boat fender strap is made for attaching to the boat with a suction cup.
Other U.S. patents for boat fender hangers or rope clamps may be seen in the Cook U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,847 for an apparatus for fastening and adjusting a line and in the Haft U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 248,367 for a hanger for a boat fender and the like and in the Martello U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,482 for a hanger for securing a line to a cleat. Also in the Gassew U.S. Design Pat. No. D557,652 for a boat fender hook and in the Bos et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,495 for a fender hanger and in the Parsons U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,783 for a rope clamp and in the McFarlane U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,236 for a marine line holder and the Parsons U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,791 for a rope clamp and the Munich U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,133 for a fender mounting system and method for boats.
The present boat fender strap allows for a fast attachment and detachment to a boat railing for a boat. The fender strap allows the boat fender to be rapidly raised or lowered by the boat fender rope being threaded through a plurality of openings in a flexible strap. The process then allows the boat strap to be folded to align all of the openings therein for easily sliding the rope therethrough until the fender reaches the proper position and then releasing the folded flexible boat fender strap to lock the fender rope and boat fender in place.